Blawn

1. What do you see as the biggest strength in your game?
2. What's one area of your game that needs a bit of work?
3. What part of the VHL experience are you most excited for?
4. How welcoming has the VHL been to you?
5. What are your goals for the upcoming season?

1. @NavyCanuck
2. @Beketov
3. @bukss_a
4. @Blawn
5. @FerdaJets
6. @HenrikZoiderberg
 
The list after the randomizer is done, it is a snake draft so it'll be starting with @NavyCanuck 12-hour time limits per pick, move on after that, don't wait for me or anyone else. If someone has missed 2 picks in a row they will be disqualified and I will finish drafting their team.
 
@NavyCanuck
F -  
F - 
F - 
D - 
D - 
G -  
 
@Beketov
F -  Matt Thompson
F - Veran Dragomir
F -  Edwin Preencarnacion
D - Dan Montgomery
D - Robert Malenko
G -  Alexander Pepper
 
@bukss_a
F -  Beau Louth
F - Jake Davis
F - Hans Gruber
D - Maxim Kovalchuk
D - Marvin Harding
G -  Kallis Kriketers
 
@Blawn
F -  Rylan Peace
F - 
F - 
D - Basaraba Moose
D - 
G -  
 
@FerdaJets
F -  Sebastian Ironside
F - Oyorra Arroyo
F -  Teagan Glover
D - Samuel Gate
D - Vaydar Odinsson
G -  Finn Davison
 
 
@HenrikZoiderberg
F - Julian Borwinn
F - Leph Twinger
F - Kronos Bailey
D - Joseph McWolf
D - Sidney Crosby
G -  Ismond Kingfisher

S65 Ottawa Lynx Draft

The S65 draft just concluded and the Ottawa Lynx added 10 new prospects to their team. The Lynx draft class consisted of 4 defensemen, 2 centers and 4 wingers. In this article we dig a little deeper into each of the players recently selected.
[Word Count: 1130]
 
 
 

 
 
[1.11] – Brendan James Lawn - D
 With their first selection in the S66 VHLM draft, the Ottawa Lynx targeted the blue-line and selected defenseman Brendan James Lawn. The American born defenseman projects as a defensive style defenseman, but also does have highly competent offensive ability. Lawn previously played for the FAU Owls in the NCAA, where he was arguably one of the best players to ever come out of the program. He possesses a very interesting mix of skills as he likes to play a physical game, but also loves to move the puck. These types of defenseman are usually not very easy to find.   Lawn will be on the top pairing when the Lynx open their S66 season.
 
[2.14] – Aston Martin – C
In the second round the Lynx selected dynamic centerman Aston Martin originally from Great Britain. Martin played two seasons in the Ontario Hockey League for the Barrie Colts before declaring for the VHLM draft and was one of the most prolific goal scorer’s in the league. Drafting a center was clearly a priority for the Lynx as Martin is currently one of only two the only true centers on the roster. Martin only declared for the draft a couple weeks ago, but has been opening eyes around the league since he joined. Some scouts think he may have the highest offensive upside of all centers in this draft. Expect Martin to have a presence on the top line for the Lynx and add a much-needed offensive spark to the roster.  
 
[4.41] – David Lindberg – D
To continue to bolster the blueline, the Lynx picked Swedish defenseman David Lindberg with their first pick in the fourth round. Lindberg has an interesting body-type at 5’10 and 230 pounds, but he can skate and move the puck very well. Lindberg projects as an offensive, puck moving type of defenseman which fills a big hole on the Lynx roster. He signed a deal during S65 with the Philadelphia Reapers and played 13 games, registering 1 goal and 0 assists. Lindberg will likely slot into the second pairing next season, but has high upside if he continues to progress.
 
[4.43] – ACL TEAR – RW
The next pick in the fourth round for the Lynx was one of the most intriguing prospects ever to declare for the VHLM draft, ACL TEAR. The 50-year old right-winger is an old-school enforcer with little to no offensive abilities. He is a one-trick pony, with that one trick being a mean, physical style of play. He is a menacing presence on the ice standing tall at 6’8 and weighing anywhere between 250-275 pounds depending on if it is #bulkingseason. TEAR signed a deal during the season with Las Vegas and played 12 games with the club. Surprising no one, he registered zero goals and zero assists in those 12 games. There is no doubt that TEAR will be a bully on this ice and be the first to protect his teammates, but time will tell if this style of player warrants a fourth round pick with more talent still on the board. Overall, Ottawa adds a player that will immediately become a fan-favorite.
 
[4.46] – Doug Forsyth – RW
The third and last pick of the fourth round for Ottawa was Doug Forsyth, a right-winger from Canada. Forsyth is still a very raw prospect, but has considerable upside. He projects as a well-rounded winger, with his best attribute being his skating ability and edgework. Similar to the first fourth round pick, David Lindberg, Forsyth has a stocky build at 5’7 and 200 pounds. He uses his girth to protect the puck along the boards and is not afraid to throw around his girthy body.
 
[5.48] – Cody Parkey  - D
In the fifth round, the Lynx took another defenseman in Cody Parkey. Of all the Lynx draft picks, Parkey has the most VHLM experience and may be the most talented player at the moment. He played 64 games last season for Saskatoon and registered 4 goals and 22 assists. There are some question marks surrounding Parkey; some scouts do not believe his heart is truly in it and his work ethic has been questioned heavily. Regardless, the Lynx added a potential Top-2 defenseman who can skate well and chip in offensively. Look for Parkey to also quarterback their powerplay in the coming season.
 
[6.59] – Thomas Kennedy – C
The Lynx added another center here in the 6th round with Australian-born Thomas Kennedy. As we previously mentioned, the center position was clearly a priority to build out in this draft for the Lynx. Kennedy has been up and down in terms of practice hours since joining the VHLM, but the team is familiar with Kenendy as last season he played 31 games and tallied 5 total points after signing a temporary S65 deal with Ottawa. While Kennedy may not have high upside, he fills a big need for Lynx headed into Season 65. We project him to slide in to the second or third line as the centerman.
 
[6.66] – Vilnis Balcers – D
The next defenseman drafted by the Lynx was Vilnis Balcers, a defensive defenseman out of Latvia. Balcers was the captain of the Latvian national junior team at a recent U-18 tournament and he showed scouts some strong defensive ability. He has great size and loves to play a physical game, which is something the Lynx management wanted to add more of.  There isn’t much of a book on Balcers at this point, but over time he has the potential to develop into a nice piece for Ottawa.  
 
[7.69] – Jean ClaudePaul – LW
As his name suggests, ClaudePaul is a French-born winger who played 38 games for Houston in S65. He totaled one goal and one assist in those 28 games.  In this draft class, there were not many true left-wingers so adding ClaudePaul is a nice move for Ottawa. At this point in the draft, teams are just trying to strike gold with a sleeper pick. ClaudPaul’s commitment to developing his game and his attitude on and off the ice are two things that teams have questioned throughout the draft process, but its worth a shot at this point in the draft.
 
[8.81] – Daniel Phantom – LW
Ottawa ends their draft with another true left-wing prospect in Daniel Phantom, who just declared for the draft eight days ago. There isn’t a lot of tape available on Phantom, but Ottawa decided to roll the dice on Phantom. Phantom will likely slot into the bottom six for the Lynx.

I did, I realize it’s to late but as previously mentioned it was an accident.

*********
 
Sorry everyone my phone glitched out when I posted this, I didn’t mean to tag all members. My apologies!
 
*********

Team:
Ottawa Lynx
 
Seasons in VHLM:
Coming soon
 
Overal Record:
Coming soon.
 
Location:
Ottawa, Canada
 
Population:
934,240
 
Arena: 
Canadian Tire Centre
(picture)
 
Seating Capacity: 
17,000
 
Team Jerseys - Home (left) and Away (right)
Coming Soon.

Phil Marleau's Biography
 

 
If Phil Knight knows one thing, it’s how to bring about English talent to the Victory Hockey League. He has already found 6 players (granted only one was a bust but nevertheless) and has found his next target: Phil Marleau. So in this piece we will explore how Marleau came to catch the eyes of this Hall of Fame Builder.
 
On Marleau’s birth certificate, it says he was from the British Virgin Islands. This is of course, 4 of a chain of small islands in the Caribbean, and Marleau’s birthplace says he was from the biggest of the Islands, Tortola, and born in the capital, Road Town.
 
Despite this, he is actually thoroughly British. Yes, he happened to be born there while he parents were taking a last attempt at a final holiday together. They left England when Marleau’s mother was 8 months pregnant and stayed for 3 weeks, instead of the originally planned 2. Unfortunately, Marleau wanted in on the sites of the Caribbean and popped out early to the backdrop of blue waters.*
*It should be noted that the only reason he is actually from the British Virgin Islands is because when creating the player – there was no fucking option to pick England!!! This is super strange consider I can still opt to pick Virgin Islands, or Ethiopia, but no matter, it made a nice intro paragraph.
 

 
Now as we all know, the Victory Hockey League is an international league, and teams fly around the world to play each other. With the work that Phil Knight has done scouting out English talent and exposing them to the VHL, the British eyes have been increasingly fixed on the VHL and so broadcasting the games have been more widely spread. So as romantic as it seems to have been born on a beach in Road Town to you, the idea of playing sports on ice was equally romantic to Phil Marleau.
 
He started training seriously at the age of 7 and managed to convince his dad to take him into London to attend a Phil Rafter shooting clinic that he was doing for charity. Meeting the real Phil Rafter, being one of his personal heroes, was more than enough to convince him that one day, he would want to be successful in the VHL, come back to London and give a shooting clinic beside Rafter. That was his goal.
 
Living in Liverpool (or anywhere in England really) Football dominated the culture, but the local hockey league, the Liverpool Lasers, had enough of a following for Phil to know that if he were to make it to the VHL, it would need to be done through that team. Besides, he read about it in the autobiography of Phil Gerrard.
 
When you have a passion. You never complain about anything. You WANT to learn, you WANT to improve, you are DRIVEN to succeed. Marleau was the first on the ice and in the lockeroom, and you’d have to drag him out. After his house league games, he would go home and shower, and then fly back outside to shoot on the net in the driveway. He would beg his dad to go skating with him at the local rink whenever he could. He would train himself, emulating a shift of VHL hockey – bursting from one end of the rink to the other. Doing his own suicide drills, and when he was allowed, take his stick and puck onto the rink – though it would really depend which staff were working. Tony, who was a massive VHL fan, would let him, saying that he would be better than Phil Shankly if he continues to practice like that. But the old grouch Felonious would never let him, or anyone, bend the rules.
 

 
It’s not even worth it to give you his house league stats. He scored multiples times each game, skated circles around the other lads, and continually offered his teammates tricks and tips. When he got old enough (16 years of age), he went to the tryouts for the Liverpool Lasers and blew the coaches and scouts minds. His natural skating ability, and the power he got in his strides, was unmatched. His shot power and accuracy was scintillating. He skated onto the first line and was awarded the “A” in is first year.
 
More than just his skill though, he was always friendly with his new teammates and went the extra mile to help them improve. After the second team practice, he worked for over an hour with the top-line centerman, showing him the best ways to win the draw. The lad was so impressed, that the next day, he asked the coaches to make Marleau the centerman for the first line. This is how he wound up being a center. He always had thought himself more of a winger, with his speed, but he figured that giving his team possession of the puck from the start of play was the best way he could influence his team’s offense.
 

 
Marleau’s first year was more than successful. They won their league with over a 28-point lead in just 50 games. Marleau put up 75 goals and 33 assists and won league MVP. They swept their way to the Championships. This was the year where Phil Knight noticed Marleau. He waited until after the playoffs to approach him and his parents, to ask if he was interested in playing in the VHL. Marleau was only 17 so he needed to wait another full year before being eligible. As Knight remembers:
 
“Marleau’s eyes sparkled when he answered the door. None of my players have ever recognized me. He immediately said ‘You’re Mr. Knight! Rafter described you perfectly! Please come in’. There’s no other way to describe the look in his eyes as fire – the burning flame of passion. I asked him and his parents if he’d potentially want to make a career out of hockey… Marleau practically danced around calling me a straight-up idiot for suggesting anything else was a possibility.”
 
He played one more season for the Lasers. He put up over 120 points, wore the C on his Jersey, was an active part in the coaching process, and won MVP. Knight spent a few hours each week preparing him for what lay ahead – the travelling, the uncertainty, the offers, the rivalries. Marleau’s eyes sparkled teal.
 
Currently, Marleau is sitting at home, awaiting his flight to fly him to the VHLM Dispersal Draft on Sunday. April 28th. Who knows how he will fare in this renowned league, but one thig is for certain – He’s going to do his best to leave a mark.
 

 
 

Had some issues with the recording quality at the very beginning and end but otherwise should be good.
 
Enjoy!

Theme Week Doubles

@Blawn
2 TPE.
 
Great start!

Hi there and welcome to another edition of the VHLM Newsletter! There's a lot of people who will be getting tagged into a newsletter for the first time, so here's a quik breakdown of what we look to cover in each edition:
 
- Uncapped TPE Opportunities - Any time there's a one-off or once-a-season point task available to enter, you'll find out about it in the early headlines of the article.
- League Recap - The middle of the Newsletter is generally based around keeping you up to speed with what's going on around the league, be that changes to how the league works, new features or how the current VHLM season is progressing.
- TPE Earning Guide - The bottom section of the Newsletter follows the same format each week. There, you will be provided with the links you need to get to the regular TPE earning activities. 
 
As always, I’d like to kick things off by telling you all about the VHL Discord. A lot of you are already in this and can probably attest to how helpful it’s been, but if you aren’t in it already you should definitely give it a shot, especially if you have any questions about the league as that will be the quickest place to get them answered! Like the last VHLM Newsletter, some of this newsletter will re-tread on old ground as, with this being a VHLM newsletter, there will inevitably be new members reading this for the first time that won’t be aware of what was in previous newsletters. So what I’ll do is put a bold *NEW* next to any information specifically made for this newsletter so players who have read these before know where to go to find the new info!
 
Preface
Hello everyone. Once again, this is a pretty quiet week. No uncapped TPE opportunities, and the sims have slowed down a bit after a very fast first couple of days. We are slowly getting in the interesting part of the season though. The WJC is starting soon-ish. We are starting to see some teams sell their roster players to contenders. This might not be the most interesting newsletter you'll read. But we're getting there. You'll see next week! Good read, you guys!
 
 
Uncapped TPE Opportunities
 
No special opportunity at the moment.
 
 
What's Going On In The VHLM
 
VHLM Season *NEW*
Teams have now played 28 games each, as we are passed the first third of the season. We are really starting some separations in the standings, as the gap between the best and the worst teams is bigger every sim. That being said, the standings haven't changed too much since last week. The top 5 has moved around a bit, but the 5 teams composing it are still the same, meaning the same teams would make the playoffs now and last week.
 
1. Halifax 21st (20-8-0, Last Week: 1st)
2. Minnesota Storm (17-10-1, Last Week: 5th)
3. Ottawa Lynx (16-11-1, Last Week: 3rd)
4. Las Vegas Aces (14-12-2, Last Week: 2nd)
5. Houston Bulls (13-12-3, Last Week: 4th)
6. Yukon Rush (12-13-3, Last Week: 6th)
7. Saskatoon Wild (11-16-1, Last Week: 7th)
8. Philadelphia Reapers (9-15-4, Last Week: 8th)
 
Top stories this week:
- Minnesota leaps from 5th position to 2nd position. The Storm probably has the best roster in terms of TPE, so it was weird to see them only at 5th after a full week of sims. They went 10-2-0 in their last 12 games, so you know @Eudaldkp has been doing good work with the lines and the tactics since the initial rough patch. When teams move up, it also means some other teams have to move down. The Aces and the Bulls were both victims to the Storm ascent and the 21st might be next, as they look pretty much unstoppable at the moment.
- Ottawa is still hanging on. @Esso2264 thought he'd be selling by now but the Lynx are somehow still in 3rd position. Jack Lynch is scoring at an unreal rate and the rest of the team is following him well, as the Lynx are still well into the playoffs race.
- Philadelphia is selling already. While the Wild and the Lynx have both been holding on to their assets until now, the Reapers have already started thinking about season 66, as they made 3 trades in the last days, sending assets to Halifax, Las Vegas and Yukon. This brings to two side-stories: (1) Halifax added Jet Jaguar, Edward Vigneault to their already solid core as they try to keep up with the rest of the league. And (2) Yukon is... buying? That's right, @Josh thinks his 6th-placed Rush are better than the standings suggests and he's been trading for good roster players to try and make it up.
 
Season 65 World Junior Championship *NEW*
The World Junior Championship are once again set to start at around the midpoint of the VHL season. Once again, the event is led by @Banackock and @BladeMaiden, and they are joined this season by @FrostBeard, in what I believe is his first job in the VHL. Since the tournament's revival in S62, Team Canada has been on the winning side every time and, every time, it was @Jubo07 leading them to glory. Is this the season someone finally takes the favourites down? You could help write history, as the commissioners are currently taking GM applicants for the tournament. They need a GM for each of the 5 teams: Canada, USA, Europe, Asia and World. You don't need to have previous GM experience to be considered, as the WJC is widely regarded as an avenue for new members to hold a job in the league for the first time.
 
 
TPE Opportunities
 
First Generation Bonus
-          Some of you will soon be reaching the point where you will surpass 100 TPE and to offer some thanks for sticking around with us for that long, we give you guys 10 Free TPE! If you are over 100 TPE or have an update that will take you over 100 TPE, you can claim your 10 Free TPE by going to the Player Management screen, going to Claim Other TPE and filling in the box that pops up as displayed in the image below using this link (https://vhlforum.com/topic/49868-first-generation-bonus/) in the link box.

 
Recruitment
Recruiting new members to the league not only helps the league by filling out team’s rosters, but it also sets you up to earn some lucrative TPE! To find out more about the rewards for recruiting members, go HERE. On top of that, there is a 1 uncapped TPE reward for upvoting the weekly Reddit post.
 
Weekly Capped Point Task Opportunities (You Can Earn Up To 12 TPE From The Following)
-          You can submit either a Media article of 500 words, a Graphic or a ten minute Podcast for 6 TPE. If you don’t have time to submit for any of these this week though, there is Welfare available to claim for at least 4 TPE.
-          You can submit a Player Card and a Player Card for 2 TPE each. You can also submit a five minute Podcast for 3 TPE.
-          You can get a maximum of 2 TPE by answering and asking questions in the Press Conferences. If you are short of answers, you can answer questions in the VHLM Press Conference for 2 TPE.
-          You can receive a maximum of 2 TPE by reviewing other people’s Media/Graphics/Podcasts. Check out the guide to reviewing HERE.
-          There is weekly VHL Trivia where you are asked two VHL-related questions, answer both correctly and you will earn 2 TPE for the week. In addition, players will be able to earn up to 6 uncapped TPE at the end of the season, 1 TPE for every week they submitted for trivia. 
 
Uncapped Point Task Opportunities
-          There is 2 TPE to be earned from posting in this week’s Practice Facility
-          There is the VHLM Pickem and Predict the Score (in the VHLM Fantasy Zone). If you correctly guess the results, you will earn uncapped TPE for your player! You'll be able to participate in the VHL Fantasy Zone as well.
-          You can submit a 500 word Rookie Profile for 8 TPE and a 1000 word Biography for 10 TPE. These two are one time only point tasks.
-          If you haven't already, make sure to spend some of your contract/sponsorship money on the First Generation Package in the Player Store. It's an exceptionally cheap purchase that gives you five uncapped TPE.
 
Trivia Assistance
Hint for question 1: In the section of the forum called VHL League Discussion, you'll find a lot of pinned historic lists, one of which is called Cup-winning goals. That's a good place to look.
 
Hint for question 2: Head for the VHL HOF section and look for VHL Awards winners. You'll find the Shaw trophy and a list of all winners. Look for the lowest number of wins in that list.
 
Video Tutorial
 

This is a video tutorial of how to improve your player through point tasks that I made about two months ago. The idea was that we were going to have this edited to a better standard before the Season 64 Draft, but that hasn't come to pass yet, so I'll just release the raw footage for now. If you need timestamps for something in particular, here they are:
Capped TPE
0:27 - Overview of Capped TPE
1:38 - Media Spots
2:39 - Graphics
4:16 - Podcast
5:09 - VHL.com/Player Cards/VHL Radio
7:06 - Press Conferences
9:00 - Trivia
11:59 - Reviewing
13:22 - Jobs
14:13 - Welfare
Uncapped TPE
16:14 - VHL/VHLM Fantasy Zone
17:08 - Practice Facility
17:44 - Yearly Award Predictions
18:35 - VHFL
19:33 - VHL Lottery (out of date)
20:35 - Rookie Profile
21:21 - Biography
22:30 - Donations (out of date)
Adding TPE to your Player
24:00 - Updating
 
 

Season 66 VHLM Dispersal Draft

 
Live From: San Diego, 
Date and Time: April 28th, 2019
 
Results: 
Draft Link
 

Brendan James Lawn
D | 6'2" | 190lbs| Age: 23

 
Early Life
Brendan was born in Tampa, FL on May 11, 1995. At the age of 5 his father introduced him to the game of hockey finally enrolling the boy in hockey 101 at the local rink. Being from Florida training and practicing were always a struggle for Brendan. Ice time was limited and competition almost non-existent in the sunshine state. None the less Brendan fell in love with the sport and took every opportunity presented to him to learn and grow. His family was middle class and never struggled to provide for Brendan buying him all the necessary gear he needed and paying for his league fees.
 
At the age of 7 Brendan started his first league at the local rink and although starting as a right winger was quickly moved back to the blue line after coaches noticed his above average ability to back skate. From there Brendan’s skill at the sport took off. He continued to play through his younger years up until high school. Attending Tampa Catholic High School Brendan lost interest in playing the sport as his school didn't support an ice hockey team and influences from his sister convinced him to try a new sport in rowing. 
 
University
Although he was athletic, and a good rower Brendan never excelled at the sport and didn't continue with it when he moved to Boca Raton to pursue undergraduate studies at Florida Atlantic University. Starting as a Computer Programming major Brendan quickly realized his lack of skill in mathematics would hold him back and thus, he changed his major to Studio Art and Graphic Design. He wanted to get back into hockey but was put off by the Owl's lack of skill and overall poor performance on the ice.
 
With much convincing from coaching staff and school administrators Brendan joined the team and quickly earned the captaincy by end of his sophomore year boasting one of the highest point totals on a team that had historically struggled to even win games. In his junior year Brendan led the team to the NCAA Mens Hockey Championship and again in his senior year.
 
 Despite failing to win a championship title Brendan would walk away from the first season earning the Defensive Defenseman of the Year from the NCHC and the Player of the Year in his final season as an Owl. Planning for the future Brendan never expected hockey to become a full time job for him and expected the end of his college career to be the end of his hockey career as well.
 
 
Post-University
Brendan left university looking for a job working in his field as a graphic designer but, much to his surprise, was quickly contacted by a member of the Solar Bears scouting team who had taken note of Brendan's Defensive playstyle and ability to stretch passes and create breakaways. The Solar Bears offered the young defenseman a chance to play in the ECHL and he hastily accepted.
 
The start of his career with the Solar Bears was rough to say the least. Moving from a team and league where he was a dominate force to the ECHL where again he was considered a rookie, Brendan struggled to regain momentum and build up confidence in his plays in his first year. After ending his rookie season with a negative plus minus and not much to show for his efforts hope seemed lost and Brendan expected his 1-year contract with the Solar Bears to be a chance he wasted. However coaching staff in the Solar Bears thought differently.
 
 In a closed meeting Coach Drake Berehowsky sat Brendan down and stipulated his terms. Brendan would be offered another 1-year contract. A chance to prove to himself and to his peers that he deserved to play in the big leagues. The terms were Brendan was to produce a winning season with positive numbers to earn his spot on the roster. This challenge clicked with Brendan and he met it with fierce animosity.
 
Brendan returned from a long post-season after spending all summer conditioning under new defensive trainers absolutely blowing the competition in the league away. He had improved phenomenally ending the season boasting a positive plus minus and being among some of the top players for assists in the ECHL. Brendan continued to play with the Solar Bears for another 4 years helping them achieve multiple Kelly Cup Finals appearances.
After a fierce run for the cup in 2018 and sweeping the South Carolina Stingrays the Solar Bears were defeated by the regular season champion Florida Everblades. With that defeat Brendan hung up his sweater in the ECHL and decided to move on from the Orlando Solar Bears in pursuit of bigger horizons.
 
Introduction to the VHL
After leaving the ECHL Brendan began deciding what his next move would be. He knew he wanted to continue the sport but with the unbelievable talent in the NHL Brendan believed his skills wouldn’t be up to par to compete on such a grand stage. In early 2019 Brendan was contacted by members of the Victory Hockey League which was just finishing up its own Finals.
 
He was informed of an upcoming expansion draft in the league in response to a recent influx of players migrating in from other leagues. It was and unprecedented growth in the leagues history and there was never a better time to enter the league. Brendan felt up to the challenge and thus made the move to the great VHL. He is currently conditioning and training hoping to be a top prospect in the expansion drafts.
 
Multiple teams have already shown interest in the young Florida born player but he has yet to sign any commitments with a club. Only time will tell which team he decides to leave his legacy on.
 
 
Notable Awards
NCAA
Player of the Year
Defensive Defenseman of the Year
 
ECHL
CCM Most Valuable Player
CCM Defenseman of the Year
Sportsmanship Award

Review: Nice combination of fonts and use of hierarchy to make the last name really stand out. I'm loving the color coordination between the text and the Jersey. The snow and gradient overlays are a nice touch as well. Great job!

Brendan James Lawn
D | 6'2" | 190lbs| Age: 23

 
Early Life
Brendan was born in Tampa, FL on May 11, 1995. At the age of 5 his father introduced him to the game of hockey finally enrolling the boy in hockey 101 at the local rink. Being from Florida training and practicing were always a struggle for Brendan. Ice time was limited and competition almost non-existent in the sunshine state. None the less Brendan fell in love with the sport and took every opportunity presented to him to learn and grow. His family was middle class and never struggled to provide for Brendan buying him all the necessary gear he needed and paying for his league fees.
 
At the age of 7 Brendan started his first league at the local rink and although starting as a right winger was quickly moved back to the blue line after coaches noticed his above average ability to back skate. From there Brendan’s skill at the sport took off. He continued to play through his younger years up until high school. Attending Tampa Catholic High School Brendan lost interest in playing the sport as his school didn't support an ice hockey team and influences from his sister convinced him to try a new sport in rowing. 
 
University
Although he was athletic, and a good rower Brendan never excelled at the sport and didn't continue with it when he moved to Boca Raton to pursue undergraduate studies at Florida Atlantic University. Starting as a Computer Programming major Brendan quickly realized his lack of skill in mathematics would hold him back and thus, he changed his major to Studio Art and Graphic Design. He wanted to get back into hockey but was put off by the Owl's lack of skill and overall poor performance on the ice.
 
With much convincing from coaching staff and school administrators Brendan joined the team and quickly earned the captaincy by end of his sophomore year boasting one of the highest point totals on a team that had historically struggled to even win games. In his junior year Brendan led the team to the NCAA Mens Hockey Championship and again in his senior year.
 
 Despite failing to win a championship title Brendan would walk away from the first season earning the Defensive Defenseman of the Year from the NCHC and the Player of the Year in his final season as an Owl. Planning for the future Brendan never expected hockey to become a full time job for him and expected the end of his college career to be the end of his hockey career as well.
 
 
Post-University
Brendan left university looking for a job working in his field as a graphic designer but, much to his surprise, was quickly contacted by a member of the Solar Bears scouting team who had taken note of Brendan's Defensive playstyle and ability to stretch passes and create breakaways. The Solar Bears offered the young defenseman a chance to play in the ECHL and he hastily accepted.
 
The start of his career with the Solar Bears was rough to say the least. Moving from a team and league where he was a dominate force to the ECHL where again he was considered a rookie, Brendan struggled to regain momentum and build up confidence in his plays in his first year. After ending his rookie season with a negative plus minus and not much to show for his efforts hope seemed lost and Brendan expected his 1-year contract with the Solar Bears to be a chance he wasted. However coaching staff in the Solar Bears thought differently.
 
 In a closed meeting Coach Drake Berehowsky sat Brendan down and stipulated his terms. Brendan would be offered another 1-year contract. A chance to prove to himself and to his peers that he deserved to play in the big leagues. The terms were Brendan was to produce a winning season with positive numbers to earn his spot on the roster. This challenge clicked with Brendan and he met it with fierce animosity.
 
Brendan returned from a long post-season after spending all summer conditioning under new defensive trainers absolutely blowing the competition in the league away. He had improved phenomenally ending the season boasting a positive plus minus and being among some of the top players for assists in the ECHL. Brendan continued to play with the Solar Bears for another 4 years helping them achieve multiple Kelly Cup Finals appearances.
After a fierce run for the cup in 2018 and sweeping the South Carolina Stingrays the Solar Bears were defeated by the regular season champion Florida Everblades. With that defeat Brendan hung up his sweater in the ECHL and decided to move on from the Orlando Solar Bears in pursuit of bigger horizons.
 
Introduction to the VHL
After leaving the ECHL Brendan began deciding what his next move would be. He knew he wanted to continue the sport but with the unbelievable talent in the NHL Brendan believed his skills wouldn’t be up to par to compete on such a grand stage. In early 2019 Brendan was contacted by members of the Victory Hockey League which was just finishing up its own Finals.
 
He was informed of an upcoming expansion draft in the league in response to a recent influx of players migrating in from other leagues. It was and unprecedented growth in the leagues history and there was never a better time to enter the league. Brendan felt up to the challenge and thus made the move to the great VHL. He is currently conditioning and training hoping to be a top prospect in the expansion drafts.
 
Multiple teams have already shown interest in the young Florida born player but he has yet to sign any commitments with a club. Only time will tell which team he decides to leave his legacy on.
 
 
Notable Awards
NCAA
Player of the Year
Defensive Defenseman of the Year
 
ECHL
CCM Most Valuable Player
CCM Defenseman of the Year
Sportsmanship Award

Being a Florida kid in a northern sport doesn't sound easy and yet Brendan Lawn is starting off strong in the VHL. Excited for the upcoming draft we sat down with Brendan and  talked about his future in the league, his thoughts on the upcoming draft and and where he sees himself signing.
 
A Florida kid making a name for himself in the VHL this is a story I don't think alot of us expected to see.
"Heh ya I'll be honest with you it was a shock for me as well. Ya know I think I am a good hockey player I think I can survive in this league but... woah you look at some of the talent out there... it's actually incredible it really is."
 
Expansion draft coming up. You won't be in that draft as you're currently unaffiliated. Which team do you think is gonna be interested in you in the Dispersal Draft?
"Well you know a couple of organizations have reached out to me showing interest, The Hounds um, Mexico City, the Philadelphia Reapers, so that's been really exciting. No commitments made yet but I really don't have any expectations on where I'd like to end up. I just know where ever I end up I definitely want to make a positive impact on that team."
 
Well Brendan we don't want to take up too much of your time we know you're busy thanks for chatting with us and we definitely wish you luck in the upcoming draft.
"Thanks so much it was a pleasure, always happy to talk to you guys."

Review: Very informative especially for me as a newcomer. I was considering taking on a job but after hearing your suggestions and realizing I can reach my capped TPE without having to take one on I think I may just hold off. In terms of the section on how you get your points podcasts do sound alluring but I think it more depends on the individual skill of the user. For instance I hate public speaker but as a Graphic Designer I can whip up a decent graphic in a heartbeat. It really depends on playing to your strengths and doing one of the point tasks that you enjoy doing. Either way great listen and I definitely look forward to hearing more in the future!